This invention relates to a cleaning apparatus for fiber optic connectors.
Optical fibers are quickly replacing wires for the transmission of data in the electronics industry. Not only are the fibers small, but light data transmission rates are very high in comparison to those of wire connections. Fiber optic cables may contain one or more of these optical fibers. Connectors are used to mate several optical fibers or cables as well as connect such cables to backplanes and system cards of computer and telecommunication systems.
Such optical fiber connectors are shown in PCT publication WO/98/00741 and in FIG. 1 on the present application. Within this connector 100, a ferrule 112 precisely positions a plurality of optical fibers 108 for mating with fibers in a similar ferrule of a mating connector. The ferrule end faces are finely polished to minimize distance between the fibers on each ferrule 112. A spring in each mating connector 100 biases the ferrules 112 together. Optionally, one of the two mating connectors 100 may contain alignment pins 106 on opposite sides the ferrule 112.
A problem exists with these connectors in that dust and debris deposited between mating ferrules can contaminate the connectors and reduce or prohibit the transmission of light therebetween. Accordingly, there is a need to clean optical fiber connectors, but cleaning the connectors may be difficult especially when a cable needs to be removed from the system to perform the cleaning procedure.
For example, in large telecommunication systems an entire backplane supports attachment of numerous optical fiber cables. System cards are slid on rails and then plugged into the backplane assembly. Many of these cards contain one or more system card optical connector housings to connect the optical fiber cables mounted on the backplane to the system card. Not only are many of these cables in the backplane difficult to access, but removal of a cable is time consuming and therefore may prove financially prohibitive.
Therefore, there is a need for a cleaning tool that can remove dust and debris from a fiber optic cable connector particularly where removal of the cable is difficult. Further, there is a need to clean multiple optical fiber optic connectors mounted on a backplane simultaneously. There is also a need to clean similar fiber optic connectors on system cards.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a cleaning tool for removing debris and dust from a connector.
It is further object of the invention to remove small pieces of debris and dust from an optical connector using a cleaning assembly which is a matable to a contaminated optical connector.
Another object of the invention is to provide a cleaning kit to clean optical fiber cables attached to a system backplane.
These and other objects have been achieved by providing a cleaning insert for use in a cleaning assembly. The cleaning insert has a main body with a cleaning pad secured on one end and a latching mechanism on the opposite end. A cleaning agent is applied to the cleaning pad and the cleaning insert is secured in a housing to form a cleaning assembly. The cleaning assembly is matable with an optical connector to be cleaned.
Other objects and advantages of the cleaning assembly and method will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading the detailed description.